BC's Jerry York goes for college hockey win record

Published 11:54 pm, Thursday, December 6, 2012

Photo: Charles Krupa

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In this photo taken Dec. 5, 2012, Boston College hockey coach Jerry York, center, talks with his players during an NCAA college hockey practice in Boston. With 924 career victories, York is tied with Ron Mason atop college's all-time win list. He tied the longtime Michigan State coach by defeating rival Boston University last weekend, and he could break the record if the Eagles win in Providence on Friday night. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) less

In this photo taken Dec. 5, 2012, Boston College hockey coach Jerry York, center, talks with his players during an NCAA college hockey practice in Boston. With 924 career victories, York is tied with Ron Mason ... more

Photo: Charles Krupa

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In this photo taken Dec. 5, 2012, Boston College hockey coach Jerry York, center, talks with his players during an NCAA college hockey practice in Boston. With 924 career victories, York is tied with Ron Mason atop college's all-time win list. He tied the longtime Michigan State coach by defeating rival Boston University last weekend, and he could break the record if the Eagles win in Providence on Friday night. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) less

In this photo taken Dec. 5, 2012, Boston College hockey coach Jerry York, center, talks with his players during an NCAA college hockey practice in Boston. With 924 career victories, York is tied with Ron Mason ... more

Photo: Charles Krupa

BC's Jerry York goes for college hockey win record

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BOSTON — Boston College has a new athletic director and an even newer football coach, who was hired this week to replace the one that led the Eagles to a last-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The basketball team isn't doing much better.

And Jerry York just keeps winning.

With 924 career victories, the BC hockey coach is tied with Ron Mason atop college's all-time win list. York tied the longtime Michigan State coach by beating Boston University and he could break the record if the Eagles win in Providence on Friday.

"The phone's been blowing up a little bit," York said as he tried to deflect attention away from his pursuit of the record. "I want to know where we are in the standings. Our whole goal here is to chase significant accomplishments. And in hockey those are trophies. So we're involved in a league race right now, trying to win a trophy."

York has plenty of those.

There are five from his NCAA championships — four at Boston College and one at Bowling Green — along with a record 37 wins in the NCAA Tournament. He reached the Frozen Four six other times at BC alone, while also winning the Hockey East Tournament nine times and five Beanpot titles.

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And there are plenty of wins.

The first one was a 13-0 victory for Clarkson over the University of Quebec on Nov. 10, 1972. York, at 26, was the youngest head coach in the nation.

"Sometimes it seems like yesterday and sometimes it seems like a long time ago," he said. "When I was at Clarkson I wasn't sure how long I would be coaching. My father-in-law kept saying, 'When are you going to get a real job, Jerry? My daughter's accustomed to living a good life here.' But that's what I was thinking back then. Wins were secondary. It was just years. Would I still be coaching 40 years from that point, I probably would have said no way."

But he is, following six years and 125 wins at Clarkson with 342 more, including a national championship and five more NCAA Tournament appearances after succeeding Mason at Bowling Green. He has won 457 games since coming to Boston College in 1994, giving him an overall record of 924-559-94.

"He's just an icon in college hockey," said Patrick Wey, one of the Eagles' alternate captains. "It's sort of understood that he's one of the greatest to coach, ever. And then you talk to him and he's completely the opposite of what you expect. That's when you realize he's such a special person."